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Business colleagues having a meeting in a transparent boardroom discussing capital gains share sales

January tax news: Claiming capital gains exemptions, reporting assets outside Canada–and more

CLAIMING YOUR CAPITAL GAINS EXEMPTION ON THE SALE OF SHARES The Lifetime Capital Gains Exemption (LCGE) is an incredibly valuable tax exemption. Every individual is entitled to this exemption and it can currently (for 2024) exempt a gain of up to $1,016,836 (the amount is indexed to inflation each year). In Ontario for example, the […]

Aggressive tax planning dominoes

June tax news: Aggressive tax planning gets more risky, UHT deadline extended–and more

AGGRESSIVE TAX PLANNING GETS MORE RISKY   The government has been taking more and more measures in recent years to go after “aggressive tax planning” — that is, the use of tax shelters and other schemes to avoid tax in ways not intended by the designers of the tax system. New rules will make it […]

Ottawa announces prescribed rate loan increase

Canada Revenue Agency prescribed rate increases for Q2 2023

For the fourth consecutive quarter, the Canada Revenue Agency  prescribed rate has increased by a percentage point. The rate used to calculate taxable benefits for shareholders and employees from interest-free and low-interest loans is now 5 per cent—up from 4 per cent in the first quarter of the year—for the period ending June 30th, 2023. The […]

residential property flipping

November tax news: Property flipping, rules around investment income in a corporation–and more

RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY FLIPPING If you buy a home or condo, and then sell it soon after you get title — certainly if it’s within 18 months or so — the CRA will usually consider that you have “flipped” the property, and that any gain is fully taxed as business profit, not half-taxed as a capital […]

Tax efficient ways to make a difference this holiday season

This is the most wonderful time of the year—not to mention the season of giving. That’s why many organizations and individuals are taking the opportunity to give back to their community or their favourite charities over the festive season. Recently, the trend is for organizations to involve their employees and create team events where everyone […]

Federal economic update provides only modest relief for entrepreneurs

Ottawa’s war against small and medium-sized business owners seems to be over—at least for now. The trouble is the government’s peace offering does little to mitigate the greater threats facing entrepreneurs, from over-taxation and burdensome regulation to tax code complexity. Wednesday’s fall economic update made it clear that the Trudeau Liberals, with an election looming […]

After outcry from entrepreneurs, federal budget introduces watered-down passive income rules

  Owners of small and medium-sized businesses across Canada can finally breathe a sigh of relief. For the most part, they’ve won this round in the ongoing fight with the federal government to halt contentious tax reforms for corporations. Indeed, the 2018 federal budget will be remembered for what it didn’t do, rather than introducing […]